NYPD Asks Bar Owners to Deny SantaCon Revelers

UPDATED| A New York Police Department lieutenant is asking bar owners from Chelsea to Columbus Circle to not let any SantaCon revelers drink at their establishments during this year’s event.

The annual party, in which dozens and sometimes hundreds of people dressed as Santa Claus go on a bar crawl, is a detriment to the neighborhood, Lt. John Cocchi, of the Midtown North precinct’s special operations unit, said in a recent letter to bar owners.

“The number of participants has grown large enough to completely overwhelm the sidewalks and public spaces,” Lt. Cocchi wrote in the Nov. 8 letter. “The past events have been extremely disruptive to the community members quality of life. Having thousands of intoxicated partygoers roam the streets urinating, littering, vomiting and vandalizing will not be tolerated in our neighborhood.”

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.